When you are thinking about good beer, which country comes to mind? Germany? Belgium? Well, it should be the Czech Republic! The Czech Republic produces some of the best beer in the entire world. Have you ever had a chilled Pilsner or cracked a tab of Budweiser with your friends? Voila! You have already had a taste of Czech beer.
The Czech Republic is an absolute paradise for a connoisseur of beer. In most places, beer is actually cheaper than a glass of water. Regardless of which global beer survey you may consult, the Czech Republic has been the #1 largest consumer of beer every year. According to the survey by Kirin in 2021, An average Czech person drinks a striking 184 litres of beer in a year. Beer is a matter of national pride for the Czech. It is not only an integral part of their culture but is also considered a remedy for numerous ailments.
“A fine beer may be judged with only one sip,
but it’s better to be thoroughly sure”
(Famous Czech Saying)
The History of Czech Beer
Beer, also known as Pivo in Czech, has a rich history in Bohemia. In the Middle Ages, homebrewing was common practice in Bohemia but brewing officially started mainly in monasteries by monks as they were allowed to drink beer during their fasting periods. The first ever record of beer brewing notes the Benedictine monks of the Břevnov monastery in Prague in 993 AD.
The first-ever export of beer was recorded from the South Bohemian town of Budweis in the 11th century and due to its profitability, beer brewing spread throughout the kingdom. From the 13th Century, the burgher guilds in royal towns in Bohemia and Moravia were granted the Mile Right entitling them to brew within a certain number of miles of their town. The aristocracy soon realized beer is a source of major income for Royal towns and started to build their own breweries and malthouses. This started intense conflicts between the nobility and the burgher guilds till the right to brew was reaffirmed to be available to royal burghers, nobility and the Church. Brewing was a major source of income for most of these. 28% of the income of the Olomouc bishop came from brewing.
Malting Guilds – What makes Czech Beer Premium
Malting guilds had a key influence on brewing in Bohemia. The first one was founded in Brno in 1353. These guilds laid down the rules for the quantity of beer to be produced per burgher house and the respective malt content. They also controlled malt and beer quality, and the members' morals and unlike foreign countries they strictly limited the malting job to properly educated individuals. This is the key factor that made Czech beer of very high quality.
Modern Czech Beer and the Story of Pilsner
By the 18th century, most of the beers brewed in Bohemia were either wheat beers or barley beers and were all top-fermented. The Czech Master brewer Ondřej Poupě revolutionized beer in the late 18th century with his book “The Art to Brew”. He designed innovative malting and brewing equipment and was the first person to use a thermometer to perfect the brewing process. He advocated the use of barley malt and publicized using the bottom fermentation method – which gives modern Czech lager its distinct taste.
His efforts led to the Golden Age of Czech brewing with the use of industrial technology and bottom fermentation – which also led to the inception of the world-famous Pilsner.
In 1842 when the citizens of Pilsen in Bohemia grew unhappy with the quality of the beer, decided to build Bürger Brauerei(Citizens’ Brewery), which would later become Pilsner Urquell. The new revolutionary beer was first made by Master brewer Joseph Groll who experimented with bottom-fermenting without knowing what the result would be. His beer had not enjoyed a complete fermentation and ingredients differed as well: Saaz hops, soft water from Pilsen and a much paler malt. The new beer was an instant success and all other breweries in Bohemia suit immediately with bottom fermentation.
Types of Czech beer
Almost all the beer produced in the Czech Republic is lager. Lager is a family of beer made typically at low temperatures and bottom fermented. Most Czech lagers have a pale amber colour known as Světlé while dark lagers known as Tmavé are also quite popular. Czech beer has an average alcoholic strength of 4-9%
In the Czech Republic, beer is classified by the Balling scale which denotes the concentration of dissolved malt sugars in degrees. A higher degree means more sugar, which results in higher alcohol content and a stronger flavour. However, the degrees do not denote its alcoholic strength.
Czech beers are classified as –
Výčepní – Tap or Draught beer brewed between 8 to 10 degrees. It is the most common type of beer sold on tap
Ležák – Lager beer brewed between 11 to 12 degrees. Almost all bottled Czech beers fall under this category.
Lehké – Light beer is a very rare product and is brewed below 8 degrees
Speciáls – Special strong beers brewed above 13 degrees
How is Czech beer different?
The most integral point that makes Czech beer different is years of brewing experience and their love for beer passed down through the generations. The Žatec region in the middle of Bohemia is cushioned by mountains which helps to create the perfect soil and climate conditions required for growing hops. The Saaz hops grown here are considered noble hops, giving a refined taste to Czech lagers. The perfection of technique from the great malting guilds also gives a soft touch to the lagers along with the unique soft water found in Bohemian and Moravian valleys. With extremely low levels of calcium and magnesium, is simply perfect for brewing a refreshing pale lager.
Apart from the regional aspects, what makes Czech beer stand out is the process of triple decoction. It is a procedure where a portion of the mash is taken to another vessel, boiled separately and then brought back thrice. Decoction makes the beer body smooth and rich and adds a deep golden colour. Originally, the decoction method was invented to ensure brewing effectiveness during an age when no thermometers existed and malt was darker making the sugars harder to extract.
Visit the Czech Republic
Any trip to the Czech Republic is incomplete without a chilled glass of some great pale lager in a local pub! When in Prague, do as they do and just ask for “Pivo, prosim!” (which means ‘beer, please’) and you will be treated to a beautiful pilsner lager. Na Zdraví!
